Panel construction



Sept. 12, 1961 A w so PANEL CONSTRUCTION INVENTOR.

Milan 7% Filed March 16, 1956 2,999,569 PANEL CONSTRUCTION Allen B.Wilson, Chicago, 111., assignor to Acme Steel Company, Chicago, 111., acorporation of Illinois Filed Mar. 16, 1956, Ser. No. 571,991 2 Claims.(Cl. 189-35) This invention relates to improvements in shelf structureand the like and its purpose is to provide novel constructional elementsand combinations thereof adapted to be employed in industrialestablishments such as manufacturing plants, warehouses, etc., informing shelves, racks, platforms, tables, bins and the like and forother general utility purposes.

One object of the invention is to provide a novel structure comprisingmetal panels which may be secured together in any desired number toprovide areas of suitable extent to support the goods to be stored.Another object is to provide a novel structure comprising metal panelswhich are secured together by novel metal clips or connectors, wherebythe panels may be quickly and securely connected. A further object is toprovide metal panels secured together by connectors which act toreinforce the panels to sustain the load carried thereby. Still anotherobject of the invention is to provide a novel structure comprising metalpanels which are secured together by novel metal connectors whichautomatically locate the top surfaces of the panels in the samehorizontal plane. Other objects relate to various features ofconstruction and arrangement which will appear more fully hereinafter.

The nature of the invention will be understood from the followingspecification taken with the accompanying drawings in which thestructural elements and certain combinations thereof are illustrated. Inthe drawings,

FIGURE 1 shows an end elevation of a shelf constructed according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 shows a vertical section taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 shows a top plan view of a portion of the structure illustratedin FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 shows an end elevation taken on the line 44 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of one form of connector constructedaccording to the present invention which is embodied in the assembledstructure shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, inclusive;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a table embodying the features of thepresent invention;

FIG. 7 is a sectional view taken through the edge portion of apanelillustrating an inside elevation of a modified form of connector forsecuring two adjacent panels together; and

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken on the line 8-8 of FIG. 7.

As illustrated in FIGS. 1 to 4 inclusive, the invention is embodied inthe construction of what may be regarded as a shelf 16 made up of aseries of sheet steel panels 11 which rest upon angle bar supports 12.Each panel 11 has two depending side Walls 11a which are at right anglesto the flat body portion 11b of the panel and the lower edge of eachside wall 11a has integrally formed States Patent i) "ice to upwardlyextending pedestals or frame members at any desired points. Two or moresupports 12 may be provided for each shelf 10.

The outermost flanges 11c of the outermost panels 11 are secured to thetop flanges of the supports 12 by means of bolts 13 and nuts 14, thebolts being arranged to engage elongated slots 12d which are formed inthe top flanges 12a. It is ordinarily sufficient to use bolts or thelike for attaching only the outer parts of the outermost panels 11 tothe supports 12 on which they rest.

All of the panels 11 are secured in place and to each other byconnectors in the form of spring clips 15 having the form shownparticularly in FIG. 5. These connectors are adapted to embrace the endsof the side walls 11a of adjacent panels 11 between the body portions111; and the flanges 11c so that the adjacent side walls of ad-' jacentpanels are held securely in contact with each other while, at the sametime, all of the panels are maintained in contact with the flanges 12aof the supports by reason of the connection of the outermost panels tothese supports through the bolts 13 and nuts 14.

Each connector 15 is in the form of a spring clip having two arms 15aand 15b which are in the-form of flat, resilient steel plates connectedby an integrally formed tubular portion 150. When a spring clip isdetached from an assembly, as shown in FIG. 5, the arms 15a and 15bconverge toward each other and contact with each other at points spacedinwardly from their free edges. The two arms 15a and 15b are ofdifferent lengths and are curved outwardly at their free edges as shownat 15d and 15a, respectively, so that the free edges diverge away fromeach other to facilitate the movement of th spring clip to embrace theside walls of two adjacent panels. The dimension of the U-shaped portion15c is preferably such in relation to the thickness of the side walls11a of the panels that the arms 15a and 15b will lie parallelto eachother and in substantially continuous contact with the oppositelydirected faces of adjacent side Walls 11a when the clip has been movedto a position, such as that shown in FIG. 3, where the side walls extendbetween the arms 15a and 151; into the tubular cavity of the U-shapedportion 150.

The dimension of each clip 15, measured parallel to the axis of theU-shaped portion 150, is preferably such that, when the clip is insertedinto engagement with the side walls of adjacent panels, as shown inFIGS. 1 and 3, the clip will fit between the body portions 11b and theflanges of two adjacent panels and thus reinforce the panels while atthe same time more securely hold the clips in position with respect tothe panels. In this way, there is provided a novel form of constructionwhich may be readily assembled and which comprises parts capable ofbeing readily secured together with a minimum use of fastening devices,such as bolts, nuts, and the like. I

In FIG. 6 of the drawings, there is shown the use of the presentinvention in the formation of a table 17 comprising frame members 18which are all slotted angle bar forms similar to the supports 12andwhich are secured together at their meeting ends, at which pointsthey are also secured by bolts 19, or the like, to upwardly extendinglegs 20. These legs 20 may also preferably be formed of slotted anglebar construction. The top flanges 18a of the frame members 18 havesecured thereto a plurality of panels 21 which are similar to the panels11, each comprising depending side walls 21a which extend downwardlyfrom the fiat body portions 21b and which have inwardly turned flanges210 at their lower edges. These flanges at the outer edges of theoutermost panels 21 are secured by bolts 22 and nuts (not shown) to thetop flanges 18a of the frame members. The intermediate side walls 21a ofthe panels 21 are secured to each other at the places where the sidewalls of adjacent aeaasee .of adjacent panels together.

constructed like the spring clips 15 previously described.

In FIGS. 7 and 8 of the drawings there is shown a modified form ofconnector 25 for securing the side walls This form is constructed ofresilient metal and comprises arms 25a and 25b which are :..connected,by, an arcuate or U-shaped portion 25c formed integrally with-the armsand adapted to force the arms .againstthe sidewalls 11a of the panelswhen the arms are :11c:of adjacent panels.

inserted between the top walls 11b and the bottom flanges The free endsof the arms 25a :are-fiared-away: from each other as shown at 25d and:the upper and lower edges of the arms are cut away from n pointssomewhat ,within the portions 250 and extend to points. adjacent to thefree ends of the arms as shown at 252, thus, .leaving projections 25fextending vertically at the ends. of. the arms and bearing against thefiat surfaces of the top' walls lib-and the bottom flanges 1ic.- Thecutting away:of the edges of the arms 25a at their top and bottom-edgesavoids any interference between the arms and the panels where the metalof the panels is curved at the junctures of the walls 11a with'the parts1 11b. and 11c, so that the arms 25a may lie in fiat contact with thewalls 11,from the outer edges of the walls inwardly-and thereby moresecurely hold adjacent panels together.

' Both of the connectors 15 and 25 have the advantage that both arms ofeach connector are of the same dimen- 1 sion as the spaces between thetop walls and the lower horizontal flanges off-"the panels so that, whenthe clips are in-place.embracing, adjacent panel walls, they not '1 onlysecure adjacent panels together but also locate the I I top surfaces ofthe top Walls of the connected panels in the-same horizontal plane.

The structural elements of the present invention have been shown anddescribed in certain structural assemblies which illustrate the use andadvantages of the present invention, but it will be understood that theinvention may have various other forms which come within the scope.

of the appended claims.

I' claim: 1. A structure comprising a plurality of panels, each panelhaving a-substantially flat body portion, the adjacent edges of adjacentpanels having side walls formed thereon and disposed substantiallyperpendicular thereto and terminating in juxtaposed free ends, inwardlydirected flanges formed on each of said side walls and'cxtendingtherefrom in the same direction as the associated body portionand substantially parallel thereto, and

a clip interconnecting adjacent panels, said clip including 'tworesilient arms connected by a U-shaped resilient portion, said U-shapedportion being disposed about the free ends oftwo adjacent side walls andhaving an inner maximum dimension greater than the combined thicknessofsaid side walls, said arms pressing against the wall to facilitateassembly therewith, said edges of said flange and the adjacent face ofthe associated body portion, the ends of said arms opposite the U-shapedportion being directed outwardly away from the associated side U-shapedportion of said clip and said edges of said outer ends of said arms oneach side of said clip being spaced from said adjacent side walls andcontacting said body portions and said flanges of said panels at pointsdisposed outwardly of said sidewalls, all portions of said arms of saidclip which areintermediate said U-shaped portion and said outer ends andwhichare in contact with said side walls-of said panels being of reducedwidth and out of contact with said body portions and said flanges ofsaid panels, said clip serving to hold said adjacent panels firmlytogether with the surfaces of said'body portions lying in common planes.

2. A clip for use in interconnecting a pair of panels, each of whichpanels has a fiat body portion witha side wall formed thereonperpendicular thereto and an inwardly directed flange on the side wallextendingtherefrom in the same direction as the body portion andsubstantially parallel thereto and with the side wall ijoined to thebody portion and flange by curved junctures, said clip comprising tworesilient arms connected -;by a U-shaped resilient portion, saidU-shaped portion-being adapted to be disposed about the free ends of twoadjacent ones of said side walls and having an inner. maximum dimensiongreater than the combined thickness of said side walls, said armsnormally converging toward each other and contacting each other adjacenttheir free endstwhen not in use and in use being adapted tor-pressagainst the oppositely directed faces of said adjacent side Walls ofadjacent panels and adapted to 'lie flat-thereagainst for the major partof the length of said arms, an

, edge of said U-shaped portion andan edge ofzthe free endportions ofsaid arms on each side of said clip; lying in a common plane and theplanes defined by said-edges being parallel, said free end portions ofsaid arms being directed outwardly away from each other, allintermediate portions of said arms of said clip intermediate saidU-shaped portion and said free end portions, being of reduced width withthe opposite edges of said intermediate portions spaced inwardly of saidplanes so as -.to clear said curved junctures, the opposite edgeportions of said U-shaped portion and said free end portions immediatelyadjacent said intermediate portions also being spaced inwardly of saidplanes so as to clear said curved junctures.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 90,055Shoemaker May 11, 1869 255,013 Oleson Mar. 14,1882 298,381 Holden May13, 1884 944,022 Eken Dec. 21; 1909 977,794 Griswold Dec. 6, 19101,681,830 White Aug. 21,- 1928 1,758,307 Bales May 13, 1930 1,809,153Barrett June 9,. 1931 1,845,268 Harvey Feb. 16, 1932 2,150,497 FernbergMar. 14,- 1939 2,269,782 Fischer et a1. Sept. 22, 1942 2,502,849Jennings Apr. 4, 1950 2,618,086 Komorous Nov. 18,1952 2,685,372 PalaithAug. 3, 1954 2,742,116 Fitzgerald Apr. 17, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 170,013Switzerland Sept. 1, 1934 608,399 Great Britain Sept. 15, 1948

